Daily Catholic Mass Readings for January 7, 2021
First Reading: 1 John 4.19 – 5.4
19Therefore, let us love God, for God first loved us.20If anyone says that he loves God, but hates his brother, then he is a liar. For he who does not love his brother, whom he does see, in what way can he love God, whom he does not see21And this is the commandment that we have from God, that he who loves God must also love his brother
1Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ, is born of God. And everyone who loves God, who provides that birth, also loves him who has been born of God2In this way, we know that we love those born of God: when we love God and do his commandments3For this is the love of God: that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not heavy4For all that is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that overcomes the world: our faith
Psalm 72
1A Psalm according to Solomon2Give your judgment, O God, to the king, and your justice to the king’s son, to judge your people with justice and your poor with judgment3Let the mountains take up peace for the people, and the hills, justice4He will judge the poor of the people, and he will bring salvation to the sons of the poor. And he will humble the false accuser5And he will remain, with the sun and before the moon, from generation to generation6He will descend like rain upon fleece, and like showers showering upon the earth7In his days, justice will rise like the sun, with abundance of peace, until the moon is taken away8And he will rule from sea to sea and from the river to the limits of the whole world9In his sight, the Ethiopians will fall prostrate, and his enemies will lick the ground10The kings of Tarshish and the islands will offer gifts. The kings of Arabia and of Seba will bring gifts11And all the kings of the earth shall adore him. All nations will serve him12For he will free the poor from the powerful, and the poor one who has no helper13He will spare the poor and the indigent, and he will bring salvation to the souls of the poor14He will redeem their souls from usuries and from iniquity, and their names shall be honorable in his sight15And he will live, and to him will be given from the gold of Arabia, and by him they will always adore. They will bless him all day long16And there will be a firmament on earth, at the summits of mountains: its fruits will be extolled above Lebanon, and those of the city will flourish like the grass of the earth17May his name be blessed forever; may his name remain before the sun. And all the tribes of the earth will be blessed in him. All nations will magnify him18Blessed is the Lord, God of Israel, who alone does wondrous things19And blessed is the name of his majesty in eternity. And all the earth will be filled with his majesty. Amen. Amen20The praises of David, the son of Jesse, have reached an end
Gospel: Luke 4.14-22a
14And Jesus returned, in the power of the Spirit, into Galilee. And his fame spread throughout the entire region15And he taught in their synagogues, and he was magnified by everyone16And he went to Nazareth, where he had been raised. And he entered into the synagogue, according to his custom, on the Sabbath day. And he rose up to read17And the book of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. And as he unrolled the book, he found the place where it was written18"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me; because of this, he has anointed me. He has sent me to evangelize the poor, to heal the contrite of heart19to preach forgiveness to captives and sight to the blind, to release the broken into forgiveness, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord and the day of retribution.20And when he had rolled up the book, he returned it to the minister, and he sat down. And the eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fixed on him21Then he began to say to them, "On this day, this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.22And everyone gave testimony to him. And they wondered at the words of grace that proceeded from his mouth. And they said, "Is this not the son of Joseph?
Sermon
In today’s readings, we are reminded of the profound connection between love, faith, and action. The first reading from 1 John emphasizes that true love for God is inseparable from love for our neighbor. John writes, “If anyone says he loves God but hates his brother, he is a liar.” This passage underscores the importance of living out our faith through tangible acts of love and kindness. It also highlights the victory of faith over the challenges of the world, a victory rooted in keeping God’s commandments.
The Gospel from Luke presents Jesus’ mission statement, as He reads from the prophet Isaiah in the synagogue at Nazareth. Jesus declares that He has been anointed to bring good news to the poor, healing to the brokenhearted, and freedom to those oppressed. This passage is not just a description of Jesus’ ministry but also an invitation for us to participate in His mission. Just as Jesus fulfilled the prophecy in His time, we are called to fulfill it in ours by living as instruments of God’s love and justice in the world.
These readings remind us that faith is not merely a feeling or a belief but a way of life. To love God is to love our neighbor, and to follow Christ is to serve those in need. Let us reflect on how we can embody this love and mission in our daily lives. Are we using our talents, resources, and time to bring light and hope to those around us? Let us ask for the grace to live out our faith with courage and compassion, trusting that God’s commandments are not burdensome but transformative. In doing so, we become part of the victory that overcomes the world—the victory of love and faith.